PSYO 1011 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Resting Potential, Channel Types

• School: Dalhousie University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYO 1011
• Professor: Shelley Adamo

Document Summary

Ions move across the membrane (through channels) because of 2 different physical forces. Both osmotic and electrical forces act on the ions inside and outside of the neuron. The membrane potential at which the electrical forces and osmotic forces are balanced and there is no net flow of ions across the membrane. Use it to detect which direction the ion is going to move. As soon as the channel for that ion opens, - If a channel for a particular ion opens, the ions will move so that the resting potential will shift towards the equilibrium potential for that ion. At +65mv, the osmotic force is equal and opposite to the electrical force. Neurons can be devided into 3 distinct functional units. Have special channels that can be opened by other chemicals called neurotransmitters. Opening channels in the dendrite induces a change in the resting membrane potential. Characteristics of electrical potentials in dendrites (graded potentials)